The Godmother || Sirius Black

━ 22. Another Escapee

Diana's mind cleared up as soon as she heard the familiar voice her hand froze mid-air and her eyes widened.

'Sirius...'

In this split second between Sirius's call and Diana's off-guard moment, Bartemius slipped out of Diana's grip as he tackled her to the ground. Shocked and unguarded, Diana fell with a thud on the ground as the straw-haired man sprinted out of the place with his wand. Diana saw Bartemius vanish in the hazy darkness and a wave of disappointment washed over her. She lay on the muddy ground, unmoving, staring at the starless, smoky night sky.

'I should've killed him...'

The words repeated in her mind like a broken radio.

Sirius soon appeared, wand in his raised hand, ready to attack; he looked down and found Diana lying on the ground, disheveled, bruised, and visibly disturbed. He hurriedly put his wand away, kneeled, and helped her sit.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing here? Are you okay?" Sirius asked Diana, panic was evident in his voice as he held her arms tightly. His stormy gray eyes stared at her, in an attempt to look inside the depths of her mind.

Her eyes were lost and out of focus as she turned to Sirius as if she was in a trance.

"Diana!" He snapped and shook her roughly. "What happened here? Who was here with you?"

In an instant, she snapped out of it and looked at the panicking, wide-eyed, black-haired man in front of her who held her tightly.

"I let him get away..." she murmured, her voice raspy.

"What?" relief washed over Sirius as he heard her speak but a little frown found its place on his sharp features hearing what she said.

"I let him get away," her voice was louder and clearer this time as she stared at him.

"Who?"

She remained silent and looked down, trembling.

"Who, Dia?" His voice was softer, as he peered down at the auburn-haired woman, and searched her eyes for any hints of her soul.

"Bartemius..."

"What?!" Sirius said incredulously as he frowned, not quite believing what he just heard.

"Barty Crouch Jr!"

His frown sank deeper. "What are you talking about? He's locked in Azkaban..."

"You think, I, out of all people, don't know that! He was beside my own fucking cell, Sirius." she snapped.

"Then how did he–"

"He broke out, obviously, I don't know how."

"Are you sure it was him?" Sirius asked with a bit of suspicion in his tone.

Something inside Diana flared up as soon as she heard Sirius's question. He didn't believe her. "What do you mean if I'm sure? Do you think I was fucking imagining things on my own in the middle of nowhere?! Or do you think I'm bloody mad too?"

"What?" Sirius was taken aback at her outburst.

"Do you think I've gone bloody lunatic after Azkaban?!" She yelled, as she shook off his hands and stood up.

"I don't think you're mad, Diana," Sirius said calmly. "Not more than the usual anyway."

She glared at him hard and was ready to retort before Sirius interrupted her pushing his finger on her lips. "As much as I'd love to continue this discussion with you, I think the senior Barty is on his way here and I'm sure he'd be delighted to escort you back to bloody Azkaban. You better transform," he whispered as he looked behind her back.